By Amanda Leesburg
Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land (SE Trust), a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, acquires, conserves, and utilizes natural land for its mission of Conservation, Recreation and Community. SE Trust is proud to announce the creation and filing of a perpetual Conservation Easement for Tapestry Greenspace in Fulton County, Ga. As of December 2022, SE Trust has perpetually protected and conserved this seven-acre, historic, “hidden gem” greenspace owned by the Tapestry Community Homeowners Association. The greenspace, located in the Ormewood Park community of Atlanta, has been protected and conserved from future development and other risks while ensuring that it remains a neighborhood greenspace.
In 1986, the Mansour Farm, spanned 18 kudzu-covered acres and fronted East Confederate (now United) Avenue and Walker Avenue in Atlanta. It was purchased by FCS Urban Ministries for the purpose of building an intentional, mixed income development that embraced diversity. It was subdivided into 30 lots with smaller, volunteer-built homes by Charis Community Housing interspersed among modest and larger houses. The Tapestry Community HOA was formed as a neighborhood block association that held ownership to the seven acres of common passive green space behind the houses. There are two playgrounds with sand, slides and swings, and a Tapestry community garden. A shuffleboard court, tree house, wood benches, and a woodland path were added in 2012. In 2008, Tapestry planted 120 trees on the community property after the City of Atlanta’s storm water sewer separation project was completed. Another 25 native trees were planted in 2010 and 41 more in 2012. Their goal for the greenspace remains the removal of invasive and nonnative plants/trees while propagating native plants/trees to maintain and enhance the biodiversity of the greenspace.
“Tapestry Greenspace is a magnet, drawing our neighbors out of their homes and into nature,” said Lou Clymore, Tapestry Greenspace neighbor. “Tapestry is important to me personally because it is an outlet for my latent desire to be a naturalist. I have studied and learned tree and shrub identification, birding and I’m grateful this space welcomes all in the neighborhood.”
In addition, other Tapestry successes have included:
- In 2013 and 2014, Tapestry received a grant through the 5 Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program and, with the help of Trees Atlanta, Atlanta Audubon Society, City of Atlanta Adopt a Stream, the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, Atlanta Community Food Bank, Fulton County Master Gardeners, Cascade Springs, and Elements Landscape Architect, continued the stream bank restoration project, built bluebird and owl boxes, and offered educational opportunities to elementary and middle school students.
- Tapestry received a Love Your Block grant in May 2015 from the Atlanta Community Foundation. With this funding, Tapestry Community volunteers and Trees Atlanta summer campers planted alders as a winter food source for beavers, American beautyberries for native birds, and three varieties of milkweed for butterflies.
- Since 2010, Tapestry has partnered with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to provide an acre of land for the ACFB’s community garden projects at no charge. The five plots are interspersed on the community property and these garden projects benefit the following: Georgia WIC Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program, horticultural therapy for adults and children, and ACFB volunteer groups as educational opportunities.
- Intrenchment Creek and Stockade Creek are wetland areas which run through the community property. Tapestry volunteers conduct monthly chemical and biological water monitoring of Intrenchment Creek through the Georgia Adopt A Stream Program.
“We are honored to partner with the Tapestry Community Homeowners Association to conserve this historic nature preserve in the heart of the city,” said Bill Jones, founder, SE Trust. “This project has been a labor of
“We are honored to partner with the Tapestry Community Homeowners Association to conserve this historic nature preserve in the heart of the city,” said Bill Jones, founder, SE Trust. “This project has been a labor of love for the homeowners and the entire Atlanta environmental community for decades and we are honored to now have the opportunity to preserve this greenspace for generations to come.”
Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land (SE Trust) formed in 2012 with the mission of acquiring and developing land for the benefits for conservation, recreation, and community. Since then, the non-profit has acquired and activated thousands of acres of land across dozens of properties in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. A volunteer board of directors is creating public parks and environmental stewardship projects for passive recreation and quiet enjoyment of nature as well as providing the benefits of scenic open space, free public recreation, wildlife habitat, and storm water mitigation for nearby communities. Founder Bill Jones has a lifelong passion for natural land and outdoor recreation and particularly enjoys hiking with his dogs. He has been fortunate to always live very close to public parks with hiking trails. His firm belief that everyone should have a nearby park to enjoy nature and outdoor recreation was the impetus to form SE Trust. For more information, visit: www.stpal.org.
